


The Scarecrow's Crow

by AlphaCJ



Category: Batman (Movies - Nolan), Batman - All Media Types, Batman: Arkham (Video Games), DC Cinematic Universe, DCU
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Arkham Asylum, Arkham Verse, Bipolar Disorder, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, F/M, Hidden Talents, Hurt/Comfort, Mild Gore, Mild Language, Murder, Mutant Powers, Mystery, Organized Crime, Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Other Fandoms Not Mentioned in Tags, Past Character Death, Past Child Abuse, Past Torture, Post-Batman Arkham Asylum, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, References to Norse Religion & Lore, Secrets, Tags Are Hard, split personality disorder
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-29
Updated: 2017-02-19
Packaged: 2018-07-27 10:17:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 10,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7614175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlphaCJ/pseuds/AlphaCJ
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a newcomer arrives in Gotham with a mysterious past and abilities never before seen in Gotham, puts the Batman on edge. A not so faithful encounter in a dark alleyway, Scarecrow meets her first. Will he make a powerful new enemy or a potential alley? And which side does this newcomer play on?</p><p>Yeah, I suck at summaries. This is my first proper fic on this site so go easy on me ;) Any tips you have for me would be much appreciated. Hope you like it! :D</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Welcome to Gotham

**Author's Note:**

> My O.Cs real name is kept a tight secret until later in this fic. This also applies to her back story.

Cold was the night in Gotham city. Even for this time, the streets were busy with crowds bustling of people and vehicles all eager to get home to their warm, safe homes and far away from the terrors that lurked at night. Batman or no Batman, every civilian that was dumb enough to stay in this criminal run city avoided the dark. Feared the dark.  
This is why she chose this city. The perfect place to disappear amongst all the crime, murder and infamy that this city seemed to bleed. No one would catch her. No one would even know her name. And that's what she yearned for. Some peace to do as she pleases, to kill who she pleases when she pleases.

She arrived at Gotham looking for a place to vanish amongst the crime. To run from the past that haunted her so and all the death that seemed to follow her where ever she went. So much death, so many losses. No one could possibly understand what she's had to deal with in her, some could argue, short life. Enraged and emotional, she found herself wandering the damp, shadowy alleyways of Old Gotham or The Narrows as the locals called it. Some would express that it was the worst idea to wander aimlessly through such a place alone at night but right now all she wanted to be alone with her thoughts, or at least, as alone as she could get.  
Besides, who could possibly stand a chance against her? She'd like to see them try. 

As she continued forward her walk was cut short by two figures who blocked the passage up ahead. She kept a stone cold almost chilling look on her face, remaining emotionless.  
'Looks like I'll get to make my first kill early in this new city.' she thought.

"Well well well, look what we 'ave 'ere! Ya lost little lady?" One of the men mocked.  
She sighed and placed her hands back in her pockets. Although she was pretty well acquainted with the cold, Gotham seemed...unnaturally cold for this time of year.

"Brave little thing, are ya? I was half expectin' ya to run away by now!" The other man spoke, tossing something shiny between his hands which she quickly deciphered to be a knife. "At least this makes our job easier! Okay! Han' over da goods lady!"

...what did they say? She could barely understand the guy due to his terrible announcation. Something about a...goose? No maybe not. She yawned, the cold air seemed to make her tired too.

The two men began advancing forward, stern looks on their faces. "Are ya tryin' to be funny kid? Han' over da goods!" He pointed the knife towards her. Big mistake.

She got bored of this charade pretty quick and it one quick swoop, she kicked the knife from the man's hand and punched him square in the jaw, sending him staggering backwards. The other thug rushed her with a longer knife from the right which she accurately dodged and kicked him forcefully in the back so he headbutted the wall, knocking him unconscious.  
She took the knife and before the previous thug could take another step, sent the knife flying through his head and embedded itself in the man's skull. 

She brushed herself down, snapping the neck of the unconscious thug and dumping the bodies and weapons in a nearby dumpster leaving no trace that the fight occurred.

As she was about to continue her no so peaceful walk, she was stopped by the faint sound of footsteps from behind. They resembled a fox trying to be quiet while wearing heavy armor and just in time, she dodged a well placed attack from behind and pulled the mysterious attacker down to the ground, pinning them beneath her. What she expected was another thug seeking revenge, what she got was quite...different.


	2. Aren't you afraid?

"Who or what are you supposed to be?" She scoffed at the stranger trapped beneath her.

"I could ask you the same thing, kid." He spoke in an unsettling tone that set off all kinds of alarms in her head.

"I'm not a kid. And I'll ask you one more time before we do things the hard way." She replied in a flat voice.

The man laughed. His eerie laughter put her on edge. "I'd like to see that. But you're clearly new in our city so I guess I'll go easy on you. Well, at least try to. Heh."

"Is that a threat?" She growled

"Perhaps. One could see it as mercy."

"You're insane."

"Debatable."

She gripped tighter on his shoulders. "Tell me who you are and why you're dressed like...that."

"Don't mind the garments. I'm mearly just a Scarecrow guarding his field from the crow that seems to be invaiding it." 

She snarled "Enough games!" She pulled the man to his feet and pushed him away from her. "I'm not in the mood to deal with the likes of you! Get out of my way!"

"And end the lovely conversation we're having? Not likely. Besides, you robbed me of my precious test subjects. I think it's only right that you repay the price."

"What? You mean those thugs?"

"Precisely. So hold still or this will hurt much more."

He paced forwards, readying a hand full of needles towards her. She braced herself, preparing to counter the attack but before she could a strange can began rolling towards her.  
Before she could react, the can burst and the already smog filled air became replaced with a yellowish smoke which she recognised to be sleeping gas. She coughed and staggered to the floor. No she wasn't going down like this. She couldn't go down like this!

With the inch of strength she had left, she leapt forward, tackling the man down to the ground with her or, more accurately, falling on him. He grunted with the impact and she used his surprise to her advantage and punched him hard in the ribs, hopefully enough to at least wind her attacker. Everything began to get hazy. It felt like the whole world was spinning and she rolled to the side, her eyes getting heavy.  
The last thing she heard from the man was

"The doctor will see you now." He stabbed his hand full of needles into her chest and everything went dark.

She awoke with a throbbing headache and blurred vision hoping that entire ordeal was just some bad dream or twisted nightmare. It was not. As her vision adjusted, she found herself chained in some sort of cell which also appeared to be in a run down warehouse of sorts. Staying quiet, she glanced around the room looking for any kind of exit or weapon she could use to escape. To her disappointment, nothing.  
Whatever was in those needles seemed to weaken her greatly and her strength had not yet returned. 

As her eyes ghosted across the room she spotted her attacker sitting at a desk facing away from her. She took this moment to observe him more closely and figure out his weaknesses. He seemed unnaturally thin meaning he probably had some form of eating disorder. For how cold it was outside, and not much warmer in here, he was dressed rather oddly leaving his chest mostly exposed and she was surprised he didn't seem phased by it. He still had that weird looking mask on, Gods know how he could see out of it, and appeared to be bandaging a wound on his chest. She remembers punching him there but there was no blood so how did he get it? 

The man stood from the desk and walked over to her iron confines. "Ah so I see my new subject is finally awake. Did you have a nice nap my dear?"

She couldn't tear her eyes from the wound. It resembled slash marks as if done by a large blade of some sort or...claws.

He noticed her gaze. "You're pretty strong, for such a small thing." He spoke quietly. "Certainly surprised me that you resisted the gas for as long as you did."

"What happened? Where am I? What the Hel did you stab me with?"

"That, my dear, was a small dose of my special fear toxin."

'Fear...toxin?"

"Yes. Of course I doubt you remember the effects it had on you...or what you did." He spoke lowly.

"What I did? What did that stuff do to me?"

"My toxin makes people experience their greatest fears. Usually in some instances they try to fight their fear and lash out. Sometimes causing injury to themselves or...others."

It all began to piece together now. Whatever happened to be her greatest fear caused her to lash out. She must have been responsible for his injury. Before she could say anything however, he spoke up again.

"Like I said, you surprised me which doesn't happen often I assure you. So I'm going to offer you a deal, if you would hear me out."

"Well doesn't seem like I have much of a choice in this instance but I'm listening. What deal?"

"Work with me."

'...what exactly?" She replied with surprise.

'You're strong. I could definitely benefit from having someone like you as my apprentice. Plus I can tell from your face, you're certainly no tourist. Those are the eyes of someone who has suffered from loss. I'm offering you a new purpose. Join me."

She was silent for a moment, considering his words. He was right though. She had no where to go. No purpose. Perhaps this could be her chance to find a new meaning in her life. "...very well. You have a point. Now can you let me out of these infernal confines?"

The man chuckled. "Excellent!" He unlocked the cell door and began to unlock the chain cuffs. "You got a name?"

"Yes. You?"

"My names Jonathan. Around here I'm known as The Scarecrow. Care to tell me yours?"

"Mmm...nah. Not yet. Not until I can be sure I can trust you."

"Well, what am I to call you?" He thought for a moment. "Hmm...as you are my apprentice, how about Crow?"

"Crow. As in The Crow? I like it." She smiled as the chains fell loose around her wrists and she stepped out of the cell.

"Well then, nice to meet you Crow."

"Nice to meet you too, Scarecrow."


	3. Close call

"Why does night seem to last forever in this city?" Crow questioned from her position atop an old crate staring out through a barred window and into a seemingless void that was Gotham at dark.

"It will turn dawn soon. Not much for us rogues to do in the daylight. Sure bank heists are always fun but I prefer to work in the cover of shadow." Jonathan replied, typing away on an old looking computer. "We're going to have a visitor over today. I have to advice you though to please try and resist the urge to punch him as it may result in loss of his cooperation." He continued flatly.

"Why would I do that? Is he annoying?"

"Very. I also suggest you rest for awhile. The job we will be doing tonight will require you're full concentration."

"I don't need to sleep all that much. Aren't you tired?"

"No. I do not get tired all that easily. One could go for days without rest if what they're doing is interesting enough."

"Well then, what are we doing tonight?" She asked, leaping down off the crate. 

"With help from my...friend, we will be performing a heist on an Ace Chemicals building not far from here. They have recently ordered a chemical solution I need to make my fear toxin even more potent. One the security countermeasures are deactive, we will sneak in and steal that compound and make our escape. It's relatively simple, you up for it Crow?"

"Hel yeah. Sound easy enough. I'm in."

"Excellent." He glanced at the computers clock. "He'll be hear at 7:00 exactly. It will take a few hours for him to hack their systems but he'll finish in good time.

"Then there's plenty of time to kill until then. What do we do to pass the time?"

"Well you're going to need some gear and weapons for this mission. Luckily, I have some temporary equipment for you to use and I have ordered you some gear from an associate of mine. You, of course, will have to design your own costume. As is customary for us rogues." She smiled and nodded and, as instructed, she ventured off to equip herself with the equipment he provided. Jonathan had given her a brief tour of the warehouse which he currently made his base. It was quite spacious but had a balcony that ran the entire length of the building and an office like room on the far end. It was filled with all sorts of crates and boxes full of various equipment, plans, maps and spare parts. Desks and paper scattered hap-hazardly around the room.

She found plenty of useful things lying amongst the many boxes. Blades, guns, chains and plenty of scrap wiring and metal.  
It took awhile to hunt through the boxes before she was satisfied with what she had found.

She brought Jonathan over a box containing a knife, some rope and hooks, an old black hoodie, a black scarf, a belt with weapons clip and some black gloves. He agreed these would do for now.

As soon as 7:00 rolled around, Jonathan had her put on the gear and prepare to greet their visitor who she imagined was another one of the costumed super villains she had heard so much about. And she was right.

The man seemingly strutted in waving a green question mark shaped can and don in a very green suit which stuck out like a bee sting. She wanted to laugh but a warning glance from Jonathan made her contain it.

"Ah Jon! Great to see you again! Or am I talking to Scarecrow? I can never tell with that mask of yours." The strange man announced.

"Edward. Currently, it is the doctor, and hopefully it will stay that way."

"No need to worry yourself Jon. This transaction will go smoothly."

She glanced between the two. They certainly were a strange bunch. Perhaps Jonathan had some sort of split personality?

"Ah! Who is this young lady?" The green man asked...well shouted and gestured to her.

"This Edward, is my new apprentice Crow. Crow this is Edward. Also known as The Riddler." 

"A pleasure." Edward bowed slightly and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

"Like wise." She replied.

From then on Jonathan explained the details to Edward and he set off to work but not before declaring that Jon will owe him favor for this.   
Jonathan sat at his computer sending an email to his associate about my new equipment while awaiting a reply from Edward. I leaned against the desk, watching him curiously.

"Something on your mind, Crow?" He asked while still typing.

She tilted her head slightly. "How can you see out of that mask?" She asked him curiously.

"I can see just fine." He sounded somewhat bored. Or maybe that was just his voice.

"Don't you ever take it off?"

He stopped typing and turned to face me. "You won't tell me your name."

"...so?"

"So I won't take this mask off. That means we both have something to hide. That makes us even. You trust me, I'll trust you." He replied and went back to typing. 

She though for a moment. "Sounds fair enough." She finally said and the room fell silent.

 

The alarms were all disabled by the time Scarecrow and Crow had reached Ace Chemicals at around 8:00. They entered via the air ducts and ventilation systems on the roof and dropped down into the hallways of the top floor. Crow silently taking out any security guards that roamed the halls. Edward had provided the codes for any locked doors they came across and Jonathan knew his way round the building well.  
It didn't take long to find the lab in which the compound was stored in.

They both silently unlocked the door with a 7 number combination which Edward had cracked in no time. Crow had to admit he was rather good.  
They crept around the room hunting through containers and cupboards for the chemical after Jon had dismissed Edward because he had somewhere to go.

"Come on. It has to be in one of these." Jonathan declared as they both hunted through the cabinates. However, their search was cut short by the sound of sirens from outside the building.

"Shit! Curse Edward! They must have installed a new silent alarm he didn't detect! We have to go!" Jonathan growled and pulled down a vent in the ceiling.

"Wait! You go on ahead. I can find that chemical don't worry! Meet me in the alley two blocks from here. Go!"

Jonathan wanted to argue but cops marched down the hallway and began to search the room. Crow ducked behind a desk and he could only hope they didn't find her.

 

The Scarecrow paced nervously up and down the alley. He had been there for 10 minutes now and debated whether it would be a good, or stupid, idea to go back and help his new companion escape. But did he really want to risk getting sent back to Arkham again? He sighed. A crow squawked nearby and he shivered, learning back against the wall. 

Quick footsteps caught his attention and he prepared himself just in case but, much to his surprise, Crow bolted round the corner.  
She took a breath before a smile crossed her face.

"Got it." She panted and held out a small bottle filled with a clear liquid.

He paused before taking it out of her hand slowly. "How on earth did you pull that off? I thought you were done for."

"What can I say? Im full of surprises."


	4. The favor

BREAKING NEWS!  
BREAK IN AT ACE! 6 DEAD 14 INJURED!

"This is Vicki Vale coming to you live from the Ace Chemicals building on Park Row where a break in had occurred just last night! We have reports that 6 GCPD cops were found dead and 14 cops were left seriously injured and found unconscious. Sources say The Batman himself is on the case!" 

Bruce Wayne stared heavily and the TV screen. Ace Chemicals was only ever targeted by The Scarecrow but these attacks didn't fit his M.O. He sighed and sipped his morning coffee, perhaps Croc had reason to or Joker had a new toy he wanted to test out? He shuffled through the forensic reports that Batman had required last night. It didn't add up, there were no clues left behind the only thing found at the scene was a long black feather. Was this a riddle of some sort of just an ordinary crow feather? He had so many questions he hoped he would be able to clear up by tonight.  
He glanced down at the pictures of the bodies that were found. Deep slashes and cuts covered them and one body in particular had the majority of their head removed from the jaw up creating an overall gruesome scene.  
No, it couldn't be Croc. He would leave no trace. Whoever or whatever done this did it deliberately for reasons he was unsure of as of yet. Tonight he would investigate further.

 

 

 

Jonathan boredly flicked through the pages of The Gotham Gazette. He always knew newspapers would exaggerate everything. The job had been mostly clean. Any deaths Crow caused in her escape were equally clean. There wasn't a drop of blood on her. He could practically hear Edward ranting on about how newspapers are the best fairytales.  
Speaking of Crow, she had currently fallen asleep on the couch beside him. He couldn't blame her, even he had to get a few hours of sleep after a job. He had to admit, even if just to himself, she did a good job on her first heist. She had gotten him the chemical and neither one of them had gotten caught. Maybe she could have impressed Scarecrow too.

'Heheheh...if ya arent careful Jon, you could find yourself being replaced!' The Scarecrow sneered.  
He shook his head. At least this time he wasn't complaining about having assistance. He needed two hands to count the amount of times he almost throttled Edward during their brief partnership.

Crow stirred slightly from her position beside him. She blinked sleepily and yawned as she sat up.  
"What...what time is it?" She asked in a dazed voice.

"Almost noon my dear." Jonathan replied. Before he could stop himself however, he felt Scarecrow rise to the surface. For the first time in awhile he wanted control.

"Heh, you sleep quite soundly, for a murderer." Scarecrow laughed. His voice was gravelly and wispy proving one didn't have to shout to be scary or intimidating.

She stared at him for a moment. His voice had changed dramatically and he definitely had all the tell tale signs of a Split Personality. She smiled innocently. "Aww you really think so?" 

He laughed. "You...you certainly are something new aren't ya?"

"I try." She grinned mischievously. He didn't notice this before but her teeth appeared jagged and rather sharp, like those of The Great White Shark...where ever he went.

"So what exactly did you do to those men? Slice em up?"

"They were simply in the way. Blocking my escape. Im sure you understand, dear Scarecrow." She explained.

"I do but I must ask, how can such a little Crow such as yourself pull something like that off? He inquired and Jonathan, too, was interested.

She leaned closer towards him. "Well perhaps this little Crow isn't so little." She almost whispered against his mask.

Before he could reply, his phone buzzed beside him and he grumbled, putting it on speaker as soon as he read the name.  
"Ah Riddles. I wondered when you were going to bother us again." Scarecrow scoffed.

"Well hello to you too Scarecrow. I'm assuming you put me on speaker because it's time to repay that favor you owe me."

"Already? Looks like you can't go one day without getting into trouble can you, Ed?"

"Haha very funny. No I need you and your...ahem...lady friend to acquire an item for me for one of my clients. You will be doing the fetching and I will do everything else." Riddler explained.

"And what item is it?" Crow piped up.

"A rare ruby being held in a safe underneath the Gotham mueseum."

"Of course...shouldn't you call Selina for a job like this? Or are you still afraid of the big bad kitty?" Scarecrow mocked but Edward ignored him.

"In case you haven't noticed she hates me right now and I don't appreciate getting my eyes clawed out as of yet. Now will you two do this job or not?"

"Fine sure whatever. Text me the details and we will be there tonight." Scarecrow agreed and hung up. He turned to face Crow. "Looks like we can't be slacking tonight my Crow. Are ya up for a classic mueseum robbery?"

"Always."

The job was simple. Break in, steal a thing, get out. But this time she felt a sense of unease like something bad was going to happen. Scarecrow assured her it would be fine. Edward had triple checked the building security protocols, his mysterious client had provided the municiple codes for the building as well. When asked about this 'client' Edward simply stated that they could be trusted and The Penguin had recommended him for this job probably because of Edwards hacking ability.

Nothing could go wrong this time. The Bat was busy chasing Joker around Amusement Mile on the other side of Gotham, Gordon and his donut eating loons were tracking down someone called Calander Man and nothing could be smoother. Then why did she have a sense of dread?

Crow shook it off for now, she could deal with any obstacle no matter how big. They would be fine.

Scarecrow tapped her shoulder, catching her attention. " We will enter through the fire exit in the alley. Come on." He ushered and she followed him sneaking into the shadows of the buildings that towered above them.

They slowly unlocked and opened the creaky metal door and slipped inside. The hallways were dark and the only light came from the rays of moon light that shone through the windows and the occasional glare of a guards flashlight.  
They took a corner cover position and Crow quickly and silently took out the guard with a swift twist of his neck as he rounded the corner. She followed Scarecrow round the corridors ducking in and out of rooms dodging guards before making it to the stairwell and defending down to the basement level of the building.

As suspected, Edward had disabled all the security countermeasures and the hallways were clear. Crow followed Scarecrow carefully through the darkened hallways of the basement floors. They passed an old guard asleep at his post who looked about as dangerous as a goldfish so they let him be. The vault at the end of the hallway was illuminated by two floor lights and protected by a biometric lock system and a key pad.

Jonathan knew his way around simple safes but using the knowledge he picked up over the years, he solved it fairly easily but did expect it to be trickier. Edward sent him the code to his phone and the vault door creaked open. It took a bit but they both had pulled the heavy reinforced door back all the way.

They enter the room and looked around for the jewel. Before either two could say anything, Edward began shouting into the earpiece. 

"Wait! WAIT! Get out of there! I-It was a set up! Someone set me up! There's no ruby! AGH! NO!!" Edward yelled and lots of banging was heard through the earpiece. They had captured him.

"What?!" Scarecrow exclaimed as suddenly the room began to blare with red flashing lights and earpearcing alarms.

"We have to get out of here!" Crow shouted over the alarms and grabbed his hand as the two made a dash for the stairs. They fought their way through guards coming from every angle and now even Gordon's loons had invaded the halls. They bolted up to the second floor after filling the first floor with fear gas and Crow bust through the fire exit and into the alley. They wasted no time in jumping down from the fire exit and began running through the maze-like back alleys.

They sprinted for a good 10 minutes until they were a safe distance away from the building before resting against the wall to catch their breaths. 

"Are we...are we safe?" Crow puffed

"I don't know...maybe?" Jonathan replied, equally breathless.

Before either of them could begin their journey back to the warehouse, a large, black figure dropped down in front of them startling them both.  
It was The Batman.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. Hope ya like! Leave a comment so I know people are actually reading this. I need the motivation! :D


	5. Wrath of the Gods

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy smokes Batman! 90+ readers! I barely expected to get 10! Thanks a lot fellow Bat-fans! :D

Scarecrow sheilded Crow behind him and backed away, putting as much space between them and the dreaded bat as possible. Now that Crow had seen The Dark Knight in person, she admitted he looked pretty threatening, but it wasnt near enough to put her off.

"Scarecrow." Batman growled, "Not like you to have a sidekick." He mocked, pointing at Crow.

"Its new for everyone." Jonathan replied, neutrally. 

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way Crane. Both of which end with you back at Arkham."

Scarecrow laughed. "You really think we're gonna give up?! You are quite mistaken!" He yelled and tossed two cannisters of fear gas towards the Bat. Wasting no time in grabbing Crow's hand as the two sprinted off. Batman coughed as he used his grappling hook to escape from the heavy cloud of toxin and rolled onto the rooftops above. He was quick to recover and took off after the rogues.

Hand in hand they weaved their way through back alleys, taking as many turns as possible to try and shake the bat that was close on their trail. The two climbed a fence and bolted round a corner into a somewhat open part of the alley that was probably used for parking or deliveries, they stopped for a breath and Scarecrow carefully serveyed the buildings above for any sign of their persuer. Nothing. It was quiet. The only audible sounds were their own breaths and the distant sound of traffic.

"Did we lose him?" Crow whispered into his ear, making sure to be as silent as possible.

"I dont know." Scarecrow replied as the two leaned back against the wall, hoping the shadows would swallow them from view. He sighed, really wishing he had more stamina for moments like this. "I'm going to gut Edward for this. Obviously his 'client' ratted him out if it even was them in the first place." He growled bitterly.

"You think this was a set up? That the Bat planned this?" Crow asked.

"Most likely. Joker's probably still at Arkham and Gordon's loons knew we would be there. It was a trap we fell for."

As if on cue, Batman landed just a few feet away and Crow covered her mouth, Scarecrow holding her back against the wall and hiding them both from view behind a large dumpster.

The dumpster could be easily mistaken for part of the wall itself if it weren't for the blue outline. Batman scanned the area carefully. He wasn't giving up on this chance to lock the Scarecrow and his new acquaintance behind the bars of Arkham. He saw the two come this way and the obvious heat signatures gave it away.

He searched behind the trash bins and dumpsters pushed far against the wall and Crow felt rather nervous as he saw him get closer and closer to their position. She drew her knife from her belt slowly as Scarecrow prepared his gauntlet to strike. They were not giving in quietly.

As soon as The Batman turned around Crow lept out from her hiding place and jumped upon his back providing enough time for Scarecrow to strike. Before he could, however, Batman had thrown Crow from his back and sent the two tumbling to the ground.

Scarecrow coughed as he picked himself off the ground, pulling Crow up with him as Batman stalked predator-like towards them. Scarecrow stood defensively and Crow held up her knife preparing to counter any attacks. She had never faced an enemy like this before and she really didnt know what to expect from a man that dresses like a bat but his next attack had caught her off guard.

Batman used his Batclaw to pull The Scarecrow towards him, punching him square in the face and knocking him unconscious.  
"Jonathan!" Crow shouted and growled warningly as The Batman approached her.

"You killed those men at Ace, didnt you?" Batman rasped.

"Stay back! Im warning you!" Crow snarled, baring her rather sharp teeth.

"Who are you? Why did you murder those workers?" Batman continued to ask, not slowing his approach.

Crow felt her back hit the alley wall, she felt vulnerable for the first time in years. "I said BACK OFF!" She shouted and threw her knife aiming right for his head. Batman caught it by the handle but it distracted him for just long enough for Crow to slip behind him and strike him with a kick to the head causing him to stumble forward, the sharp edge of the knife scraping against his mask screeching like nails on a blackboard.

She took a few paces backwards towards Jonathan who lay on the floor. She stood defensively in front of him, like Hel she was going to let this Bat take them away. As Batman recovered, he tossed a few Batarangs towards her which sliced her shoulder causing her to yelp slightly before growling and bolting forward towards him.

Batman countered, tossing her against the wall but using her smaller size, she dashed underneath him and tripped him by wrapping his own cape around his legs.  
"Didnt anyone ever tell you no capes?" She mocked and climbed to her feet. The blood from her shoulder had stained her hands and left traces on the alley ground but she couldn't worry about that now. Batman stumbled upright and whipped his cape around, briefly stunning her and punched her in the stomach, causing her to keel over.

He was about to finish it and knock her out but she laughed and with sudden strength that surprised him, she swept her leg across the ground knocking him down to her level where she beat him with bloody fists that felt more like sharp blades than hands. He grunted and gripped her wrist, preventing another strike. Batman had mere seconds to examine her bloody, clawed hand before she ripped it from his grasp and slashed him deep in the chest before kicking him firmly in the head until he fell to the floor, unmoving.

 

She hadn't killed him. She checked. He was still very much alive and Crow doubted he would stay down for long. She turned around to see a curious looking Scarecrow sitting cross-legged on the ground in front of her.

"My my! Now that was certainly....unexpected." Scarecrow chuckled.

"How...how much of that...did you see?" Crow panted out, wiping the blood from her hands.

"Enough to have more than a few questions, my dear." He replied, standing up.

Crow walked towards him slowly, like a person would with a distressed animal. Scarecrow took note of her obvious appearance changes. Deadly claws, pointed teeth and especially her eyes...he never noticed this before but to his knowledge, she had a rare form of heterochromia or two different coloured eyes. Her left eye was a strange but captivating golden colour while her right was a dark, crimson red. 

He tried to speak but the words just didnt seem to form. She lightly took his hand, her eyes fading back into their original blue and gold colour as she spoke. "Listen I'll explain all of this to you but right now we have to go. He isn't gonna be out for much longer."  
Scarecrow nodded and they began their trek back to the warehouse.

Their voyage back to the base was mostly in silence and as soon as they got there, Crow dragged out a medical box as they both collapsed on the couch just as dawn began to shine through the windows.  
"what are you doing?" Scarecrow questioned as Crow shuffled through the box.

"You took a blow to the head, I need to have a look at it. Dont you feel it?" 

"I've taken lots of blows to the head by the Batfreak. Im fine. Just...tired."

"There's a first. Look if you won't remove that mask fine but at least take some painkillers."

He sighed. "Fine." He agreed begrudgingly and swallowed the yellowish pills she handed him. A few moments later he had seemingly fallen asleep while Crow began work on stitching the gash on her shoulder that the Batman's boomerang-like weapon had caused.

She removed the old black hoodie and rolled up the short sleeve of her shirt, exposing the wound. Crow cleaned it with a bottle of rubbing alcohol that she found in the box and rummaged around for the needle and thread which lay buried underneath boxes of assorted tablets.  
Crow attempted her best at stitching with shaky hands, the result of many years of abuse either by her own hand or by the hand of her countless foes.

Jonathan groaned as he sat upright somewhat disoriented. "Wha-What happened?" He asked in an unsure voice.

"Ask Scarecrow. He was there the whole time." She replied simply and continued to fiddle with the thread.

He was silent for a few moments before whispering a barely audible 'oh' and turning round to face his companion.  
"You're hurt." He observed, much to her surprise.

"Its uh it's nothing. Just a scratch." She stuttered as her shaking hands pulled tight another thread.

"Here. Let me." He spoke quietly, taking the needle from her hands and stitched it across the wound in a zig zag fashion. "You know for someone who doesn't kill, throwing these razor blades at people really isn't much better." 

"Really? The Batman doesn't kill?" 

"Not a soul. It's strange really. He just beats us and throws us in that dreaded asylum and expects us to stay there."

"I take it no one goes quietly." Crow mused and Jonathan nodded.

They sat in a comfortable silence while he finished stitching and bandaged the wound. Crow nervously turned to face him.  
"Thanks." She spoke.

"I should be the one thanking you. I dont know what or how you did what you did back there but you managed to knock down the Bat! Not many of us managed such a feat alone. I'm also grateful for preventing our capture and suggest we lay low for a few days."

Crow smiled. "Long story short I'm not exactly what you would call um...human. I may look it but its true." She responded nervously.

"Heh, believe it or not I can think of at least four of my fellow Rouge's that aren't entirely human. Its not uncommon here in Gotham." Jonathan replied.

"Really? Wow I wasnt expecting that." 

"You'll most likely meet some soon. That reminds me, my acquaintance The Penguin has your rogues costume ready for you. We can pick it up anytime now."

"Sweet how about tonight after some rest. I'm shattered after that fight." She yawned.

"Absolutely. What do you say we both try and get some sleep?"

"Yeah. Sleep time...for sure." And with that said, she had fallen straight to sleep against him on the couch. Tonight had been one hell of a night but he was just glad they were able to enjoy this moment now however short it may be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now the Crow has revealed she's more than she seems but the question still remains who is she and where is she from? All will be revealed, dear reader. ;)


	6. Pieces of the past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delay. I was away on a last minute holiday and they didn't have WiFi! :o Hope you enjoy this chapter it's a bit shorter this time because I think this issue should be sorted first before we move to the next part. Next chapter will be longer okay? Love you guys! :D

Crow had awoken with a horrid headache. She sat upright and rubbed her eyes which stung with a burning sensation. Her vision was blurry and the space around her was pitch black. She stood up slowly and felt around in the darkness for the table that sat in front of the couch. Nothing, instead she felt her hand rest against a wall to her left that she couldn't remember being there.

"S-Scarecrow?" She called out only for her speech to be echoed back to her. Crow wearily began to venture down the narrow hallway using the wall as her guide through the darkness, a faint dripping sound was audible almost like a drip of a leaky pipe or ceiling.

She came past a cracked window, moonlight reflecting off the rain that poured heavily from the dark skies creating an unsettling feeling that was all to familiar. The moon had created little light but enough for her to make out her surroundings, a checkered style floor of black and white, a sticky crimson coloured stain on the walls and floor and a smell which she could only describe as rotting flesh sickened her to her stomach.

She recognised this place all too well, pushing down the feeling of panic and pain, she carried on jumping slightly when a rat scuttered across the tiles and disappearing into a gap in the decrepit walls. Her eyes began to feel wet as she continued her journey down memory lane. Flies and rats ripping and tearing at the rotting flesh that lay in dark pools of red. 

"It was my fault. It was all my fault..." She whimpered to herself and turned a corner into an spacious room. The sound of buzzing flies had gotten louder and louder as she slowly crossed the room. Withered posters and boarded up and broken windows covered the walls. Her foot hit a bloodied crowbar that lay amongst scrap metal and wiring and she shuddered as she swore she heard the mechanical whirring of what it once was.

"I couldn't save them..." She cried as she approached the source of the buzzing and screamed at the sight. Two small bodies lay rotting away in a pile of bones, flesh and metal. Their limbs had become one with the endoskeleton-like parts that intertwined with their bones. Crow backed away from the sight, her hands trembled as she gripped at her head before turning around sharply and sprinting away from the scene.

She ran for what seemed like hours through the twisting corridors until she ran into something firm. She glanced up at the horrible mangled like mess of flesh and steel. It's teeth dripping with blood and claws fresh with the flesh of its victims. Crow screamed as it's huge jaws decended on her head, crushing into her frontal lobe as she screamed.

 

 

"Crow! CROW!!!" Jonathan yelled shaking her awake. She shakily opened her watery eyes and pulled herself upright. Jonathan was kneeling in front of her, she would say he looked worried but she couldn't tell with that mask he was so insistent of keeping on.  
"You...you were having a nightmare. Are you okay?" He asked handing her a cup of coffee, she accepted gratefully.

"I'm fine...just that stupid dream again." She replied with a hint of sorrow.

Jonathan thought for a moment. He had dealt with patients like this before who were haunted by their past mistakes but Crow wasn't his patient, she was his partner. He didn't want to treat her like a patient.  
"Care to talk about it, my Crow?" 

"Not really."

"It will help to get your worries out in the open. No use keeping them bottled up." He insisted.

"It's just a stupid re-occurring nightmare, nothing you need to worry about. I'm fine." She replied and rubbed her tired eyes which still stung.

"I don't believe that." Jonathan simply stated and adjusted his glasses from under his mask. He already deduced that she may suffer from PTSD and was mentally cursing himself for unconciously beginning to analyse her. He sighed and leaned forwards slightly to face her. "Listen, I used to suffer from nightmares too. It's not uncommon for those with troubled pasts."

"Really? Why? What did you do?" She questioned.

"I didn't do anything. My only crime at the time was being born."

"Huh? Why is that?"

"My parents never wanted me and my dear ol' crone of a grandmother never wanted to have to look after me. Classic story of domestic abuse." Jonathan explained and Crow was silent as he continued his story. "Anyways, she was a very religious person and considered me to be the literal spawn of Satan. Anything I did was bad in her eyes so to 'discipline' me she would lock me up in that old barn overnight and let the crows claw at my back leaving me with scars that would not heal. Then I met The Scarecrow who kept the crows away and helped me get rid of dear ol' gran and by 'get rid of' I mean chop up and feed to the crows of course. I was free but every night since then I was plagued with terrible nightmares of her and that barn until Scarecrow helped me master my fear and now it's gone completely. I can help you get over your fears my dear, if you would let me." Jonathan finished and looked hopefully at Crow who was listening the whole time.

"That's...that's quite a tale...I never would have guessed...I guess I owe you one now." Crow responded.

"Only if your ready."

"I am...my nightmare...it's one that I've had again and again for ages. Something really bad happened a while ago, something I couldn't prevent and I lost everything. It's been haunting me ever since and I've never forgotten. My family...the man I was with at the time was a night guard at a children's restaurant. One of the most least dangerous places around, until some messed up stuff began happening. Children vanishing, staff going missing and worst of all the entertainers for the building were large robot-like animals that began to act real strange. The cops were eventually dragged into it but found nothing and the building opened again. I took the kids down to the place to play once their father deemed it safe. That was the biggest mistake of my life." Crow explained and her voice cracked slightly.

"Do you want to stop?"

"No. No. I can keep going. A-Anyway...the boys went missing and I went to their father to ask him to help me look but he wasn't in his office so I decided to go look for them myself. I checked all the rooms but they were just...gone. Eventually, their dad ran over to me exclaiming that he couldn't find them either so we called the police and they began a kidnapping investigation. We went home to wait it out but he got so sick of just waiting for a phonecall and headed out himself. I tried to stop him but he wouldn't let me. After hours of no sleep, I drove down to that restaurant myself and found the door open and the building pitch black. The hallways that usually smelt of pizza now stank of out of date food and a sticky substance coated some of the tiles. Panic took over and I ran towards were the main part room was and was met with the sight I feared most. They were dead Jonathan. All dead. They had been murdered, stabbed over and over again. I never found their fathers body. Not until many years later. He had died in one of the suits. His body...it had been crushed in that thing. The murderer was never found...." Crow finished her tale and held her head in her hands, her voice quivered slightly.

Scarecrow was silent and Jonathan had no idea how to respond. This poor girl had lost everything he never dreamed he would have. Although he was pleased she told him this he wasn't prepared for this type of emotional trauma. He was clueless when it came to families as he never had one himself, according to Edward, they were horrible. He awkwardly sat upright and cleared his throat.

"That's horrible...I'm really sorry to hear of you're loss, my dear. Do you feel any better now that you've shared this with me?"

She snifffled and dried her mismatched eyes before glancing up at him. "Actually, yes. I feel a bit better. Thanks for listening Jonathan."

"Anytime, my dear. You might find that everyone here in Gotham has some depressing story to tell."

"Let's all be broken together then." She smiled

"Let's." He agreed.


	7. Birds of a feather

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait again! Just getting over writers block and the stress of starting college. Enjoy this chapter!

Bruce Wayne had spent all day and night in The Batcave ever since he woke up in that alley covered in gashes of all sizes and no sign of either of his foes. Poor Alfred had spent literal hours stitching him up, greeting him with 'Master Wayne! Did you get mauled by a tiger?!' Sure as hell felt like it. His encounter with this so called 'Crow' had not been in vain however, she made one huge mistake. 

The Batcomputer bleeped and Bruce swiveled round to face it. DATA ANALYSING COMPLETE. It read in large, bold letters and he smiled to himself, glad he had at least one victory tonight, or was it the next day? He never really knew.  
Crow had made a horrible mistake which was leaving her blood, her DNA, at the scene. Finally, he could find out who she really was and have the upper hand. He could beat The Crow.

 

 

Jonathan escorted Crow alongside him the whole way to Cobblepot's warehouse where they were to meet with the man himself in regards to Crow's new gear. He was assured that Oswald had placed his most expert specialist designers on the job with creating various armors, weapons and masks for her to choose from. 

Crow was a little nervous after being informed of how ruthless and cunning The Penguin was. Not that she was scared but something about Gotham seemed to make her feel rather...insignificant even though no one here to match her abilities, she knew that for a fact.

"Jonny boy!" A sudden voice erupted as the two entered the large warehouse and came face to face with Penguin and his very armed henchmen.  
He was a rather short man with quite a bit of weight to him but what really unsettled her was that shot glass that was seemingly embedded in his eye.

"Greetings Oswald." Jonathan greeted formally. "This is Crow. My apprentice." He continued, walking forward so he was standing in front of him.

"A pleasure to finally meet you my dear." He replied in a well accented British accent that almost matched her own. "You're going to love what I've put together for you today." 

"The pleasure is mine. I can't wait to see what you've got." Crow replied, following him towards two large cuboid crates which his henchmen opened with crowbars.

"Ah, I hear your accent! You from the motherland too eh?" Oswald asked.

"Yes sir. I spent most of my early life there." 

"Polite too! I like that. I grew up there as well." He smiled proudly, although it was genuine, it was still a bit unsettling.

He shooed his henchmen away and ushered Crow towards him, presenting the various styles of gear and weapons that lay in the crates.  
"Cool. These look amazing!" Crow announced, grazing her finger along the sharp beak of a plague doctor like crow mask.

"Take anything you want my dear, free of charge." Oswald winked, flicking ash off the end of his cigar.

Even Jonathan was taken aback by Penguins sudden generosity. He never gave away anything for free unless he wanted something in return.

"Oh don't look so shell shocked Jonny! There are no catches! Your young companion has merely earned my approval." He announced honestly.

"Very well..." Jonathan replied. "You have my thanks Oswald." He nodded and turned back towards Crow who was shuffling through the crate with glee, her eyes glinted as she picked up a very peculiar twisted dagger.

'Excellent choice! This one can get very messy when used." Oswald chuckled and Crow grinned.

She continued hunting through the boxes, pulling out anything she desired. Jonathan observed her collection which lay upon the metal table. The twisted dagger, throwing knives and sharp arm bracers similar to that of the Bats. He examined her new mask more closely and Oswald picked it up.

"This beauty was inspired by the famous 'Plague Doctors' mask of old England. It's goggles 'ave night vision and the unique ability to see enemies through walls via heat signature. The beak is quite sharp so watch yer fingers." He joked, handing it to Crow who tried it on. 

It fit perfectly, being held on with a leather strap that she could hide easily enough with the hood of her black hoodie which she was keeping on but added a shock resistant vest underneath it to reduce the chance of breaking bones. She clipped her new weapons to her belt along with some fear toxin cannisters which Scarecrow had given her. 

She turned to face the two men. "What do you guys think?" 

"Perfect, my Crow." Scarecrow spoke approvingly.

"I agree. Looks real well on you, fellow bird." Oswald complimented.

"Why thank you!" Crow smiled, admiring her new mask.

"Anytime my dear. You ever need anything, you just give me a call. Now get out there an' knock that bloody Bat outta the sky!" Oswald shouted with a laugh and Crow jokingly saluted, half jogging out of the room, Scarecrow close behind her.

 

Bruce frustratedly pulled on his hair. Nothing. It's like she never even existed in the first place. She was no beginner and couldn't have been avoiding all those organisations out there with the skill set and inhuman abilities she had. He sighed and scanned it again, picking up the phone and dialing a number he never thought he would need to dial again.

"Hey, it's me. I need you to do something for me." He began. "I'm sending you a blood sample. I need you to look for anything you can on who it belongs to. Any past data, info, family...anything you can dig up. Yeah, I'll owe you a favor."

Crow lept around the rooftops of Gotham on their way back to the base, testing out her new gear. She could see anyone with her new mask and was very pleased with it and rather eager for the next mission Scarecrow may have for her. She lept down into the alley to join him and they both snuck into the hidden entrance to their base.

Crow removed her mask and brushed her hair out lightly with her fingers, falling back onto the couch with Jonathan beside her.

"Well he didn't seem so bad." Crow stated.

"Trust me that man is a snake. Don't trust him." Jonathan warned.

"Really? I thought he was a penguin?" Crow joked causing him to glare at her. "What? I can't tell what face your making under that mask."

"It's a face of disappointment."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you want to see a rough idea of what Crow's costume looks like, check out my drawing and cosplay of her here:
> 
> Drawing: http://cjdrawsstuff.deviantart.com/art/The-Crow-625798994  
> Cosplay: http://cjdrawsstuff.deviantart.com/art/Batman-O-C-The-Crow-623918243


	8. Light Reading

Two weeks later

 

"You would not believe the trouble I went through to get you this!" A voice erupted behind Bruce.

He turned away from his desk to face the visitor.  
"Fine, I'll owe you a bigger favor, what did you dig up?"

Clark Kent held up a large folder with a name hastily scrawled across the cover in a language Bruce didn't recognise.

"Absolutely nothing. Well, nothing from our world anyways."

"What do you mean? What are we dealing with here?"

Clark sighed, removing his glasses. "Don't you remember the confirmed existence, so called, parallel universes or the 'Multiverse'?"

Bruce nodded, not liking where this was heading.

"Well after I found nothing on record of this 'Crow' character, I asked Barry to preform a small dimension jump for me. It took awhile but he brought me back this folder. I don't recognise the language on the front but most of it appears to be in English." Clark explained, handing him the file.

Bruce rounded his desk and opened the folder. He didn't know what to expect but prayed it would at least give him some insight into how to deal with this new foe.

"How do you know this is about her?" Bruce asked, skimming through a few loose notes written in the same unknown language.

"I had a quick read at what was illegible, the skills seem to add up plus there was another blood sample with the data. It's a match." Clark answered proudly.

Bruce sighed and pulled out a few readable sheets that had been stapled together and began to read aloud.

"Date: 26th of April 2012. Suspect is apprehended by Director Codename: 'Doyle'. We believe [NAME REDACTED] to be related to our primary target. Suspect has been tranquilized under the order of Agent Codename: 'Cheese'."

Clark snickered at that, earning a disapproving look from Bruce.  
"What? Just who we're these people anyways?"

"There's some sort of logo at the top." Bruce replied, leaning closer to read the faded letters. "S H E I-...the rest is too faded but it probably says it in here somewhere."

He flicked over the page, briefly scanning over the words.  
"There has to be something in here that tells us how the made this 'tranquilizer'. I'm going to be here a while."

Clark nodded, checking his phone. "As much as I'd love to stay here and read with you, I gotta head back to Metropolis. That city only stays safe for so long."

"I understand." Bruce replied, pausing. "And...thanks Clark. Thank Barry for me too..."

Clark grinned and gave him a small nod practically skipping out of the office.  
"Did he just thank me?" He asked Alfred on the way out.

"I believe he did sir."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took so long. College is killing me but I've pledged to stay consistent with both the fics I'm working on. I hope this isn't too short. :/


	9. As the Crow flies

"By the Gods why is it always raining!" Crow complained, pulling her hood tighter over her head.

"I thought you'd be used to it, spending all that time in Britain, going by your accent." Jonathan replied, staring up at the dark skies completely unfazed by the heavy downpour.

"It's like it's only ever raining for dramatic purpose!"

"I highly doubt our flying rodent can also control the weather, Crow."

"Yeah and I say the same about Maxie Zeus! Greek Gods...pfft!" Crow sneered, jumping over a puddle as they walked.

"Not a religious person are ya Crow?" The Scarecrow rasped, chuckling darkly.

Crow laughed. "An interesting question for another day."

The two rounded a corner into a narrow street no longer illuminated by street light. Crow shivered, water running down the edge of her sharp beak.

"Seriously, how are you not freezing right now?" She questioned and The Scarecrow shrugged.

"When you've spend enough time in Solitary Confinement, you'll find the cold no longer bothers you as much."

"I'm glad you're used to it, because you're going straight back there, Scarecrow." A voice erupted from behind them.

 

 

Crow swung around, immediately tossing three knifes in the direction of the deep voice. Batman easily blocked, throwing his own batarangs towards the two, distracting them long enough for Robin to swing in. 

He struck Scarecrow, causing him to stumble downwards but not before he had the opportunity to toss a canister of toxin. 

The street flooded in the green fumes, Robin quickly covered his nose and Batman was no where to be seen.

Crow quickly swung around, checking everywhere on guard for attack but none came. Scarecrow had already made attempts to strike Robin which was one thing she didn't have to worry about.

She immediately jumped to the left, dodging a well aimed batarang before leaping backwards two spaces from the following three.

Batman swung down, kicking her from behind. Crow's hand hit the wall, grunting, she swung her leg around but to no avail, the bat was gone.

"Stop hiding and face me rodent!" She growled impatiently. 

The Batman landed in front of her and she readied herself for another attack. He held up a large folder from under his cape and Crow immediately recognised it.

Her eyes widened and she stepped backwards, hitting the wall.  
"H-How...how the Hel did you get that?!" Crow demanded.

"That's not important, it's what's inside that matters." The Bat replied. "I had a good long read of what was illegible, believe me."

Crow gritted her teeth, glancing around the narrow street, no sign of Scarecrow.  
"Then you know...you know to stay the Hell away from me, bat." 

Batman shook his head, "You can't scare me off, not in my city Crow." He shot back, "Plus, I've dealt with worst than the likes of you." 

And that was the last straw. Crow snarled, dashing forwards and swinging a heavy punch towards him. Batman swiftly dodged, jumping to avoid a leg sweep.

She let out a yell, kicking him with as much force as she could muster which sent him stumbling backwards. 

Crow took the brief moment to breath. 'No' She thought, 'I can't let this get out of hand.' She brandished her twisted dagger, slashing towards him with extraordinary speed.

The Bat jumped out of the way, grappling high up to a vantage point. He patted his side, slightly bruised but nothing more.

Crow panted, removing her mask. Her mismatched eyes seemed to glow in the darkness that was this eerie street. It was quiet. 'Scarecrow must have taken Robin elsewhere.' She thought.

She glanced up at the dark figure looming on the rooftops above.  
"You can't best me Bat! What's a hero to a God?" She mocked, spreading her arms wide.

Batman leapt down, his eyes not breaking contact with her now crimson red ones.  
"What's a God to an non-believer?"

Crows eyes widened as she felt a sharp pain in her neck, she stumbled to the floor turning to look at the two blurry figures standing over her.

Nightwing grinned, holding a now empty syringe in his palm. She blinked a few times, coughing as she felt her power leave her.

Crow growled with determination.  
"N-No! I can't....go down like t-this!" She rasped weakly, barely conscious.

"Just give up Crow, its over." Batman stated firmly and everything faded to black.


	10. Questions and answers

Crow winced as a bright light enveloped her vision. 'Am I dead?' She asked herself, pulling on the restraints that held her to the chair. No, neither heaven nor hell would treat her like this.

"Good, your finally awake I see." A voice answered from somewhere in the echoey room.

Crow blinked a few times, adjusting to the bright light. "Who are you and where am I?"

The figure stepped out from behind the light. "Nightwing. Good cop. Arkham Asylum." He answered all at once, smirking to himself.

"Right...look kid, I'm not really in the mood to play superheroes with you right now so I'm gonna leave." Crow replied, pulling hard on her restraints.

She frowned when they didn't immediately shatter and disbelief soon turned into panic when she realised she was trapped here.

"Wha-what the hell did you do to me?!"

Nightwing grinned. "What's wrong? Can't get free? That file of yours gave us a recipe for a sort of 'nullifier' for your long list of known abilities." He explained, flicking through a few pages.

Crow growled, muttering somewhat of a name and curse word under her breath.

"I mean, this is extraordinary. Telekinesis, shape shifting, teleportation, incredible strength...the list goes on and on. If you weren't so dangerous, I'd even call you a super."

"Yeah, yeah don't start drooling now bird boy." Crow spat, rolling her eyes.

Nightwing sighed and crossed his arms. "Look, like I said, I'm Good cop. I want to help you here but you need to answer some questions first, honestly."

Crow chuckled a bit. "It doesn't seem like I have a choice in the matter anyways."

Nightwing smiled and opened the file, pulling out a strange page covered in unknown symbols and markings.  
"First, what language is this?"

"Nordic runes."

"Can you read it?"

"Yes."

"Will you translate this please?" Nightwing asked, placing the page on the metal table in front of her.

Crow sighed, skimming over the page.  
"It roughly translates to: Remember to feed Juliet, Gabe is coming for dinner, Agent C is a ******"

"...is that really what it says or are you just making this up?"

"That's what it says because I wrote it. It's my to do list for 2012."

"Seriously?" Nightwing asked with disbelief, looking sceptical. "Then why is it written in runes?"

"It's my native language and was the easiest at the time for me to write and understand." Crow explained calmly.

"...where are you from, Crow."

Crow stared blankly for a few moments, thinking. "I'm from all over."

"No really, which planet, era, dimension, whatever."

"Like I said, I'm from all over. I'm not inclined to tell you any more."

Nightwing sighed, "Then where were you born."

"On the side of a rainbow bridge leading into nothingness. And no, I'm not making this up."

Both Crow and Nightwing flinched when the door flew open. 

"And I'm Bad cop." Batman rasped, entering the room. "No more playing around Crow. You're going to answer our questions or be locked at Arkham forever. Your choice."

Crow smirked and thought for a moment. "You have no idea just who you're dealing with Bat. You'll regret threatening me."

"Then please just tell us who we're dealing with then? It's much simpler than running in circles." Nightwing pleaded.

"I'll ask again, where are you from Crow?" Batman growled.

"Another dimension, the same one you got that file from. Obviously."

"Who were you?"

"I had a lot of different jobs from agents to part time nightguard. Demigod to detective." Crow answered with a shrug.

"Then why come here to kill? Team up with someone as low as Scarecrow?" 

Crow shrugged. "I don't know, boredom I guess?" She laughed much to the others dismay.

Batman growled and marched out of the room, talking to the guards outside. Nightwing just shook his head, approaching Crow by just a few more feet.

"You're lying."

"I'm sorry what? I believe I've been very truthful so far." Crow replied, scowling.

"You're not her because of boredom are you? No, no it's something else isn't it?"

"I...I don't know what you mean." Crow hesitatied.

Nightwing smiled a bit. "So what is it? What are you hiding from? Or maybe you're running? What could the mighty Crow be running from?"

"Shut up! Just shut up! You don't know anything about me or what I've been through!" Crow shouted before immediately falling silent, her head held low.

Nightwing didn't say anything as he left the room but Crow could hear muffled talking from behind the door but nothing she could make out.


End file.
